East Texas

GLADEWATER -- The Gladewater Arts and Crafts Festival this weekend will feature items in about 50 booths set up by exhibitors from surrounding areas in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, according to Marsha Valdetero, Chamber of Commerce director.

This year, the festival will have 83 booths. The booths will be stocked with jewelry, wood products, painted shoes and purses, plant stands, different kinds of crosses, candles, hair bows, plants, mosaic tile art, gourds, dog clothes and dog biscuits, Barbie doll clothes, knitting, crochet and many other items.

There will also be seasonal items for Halloween, Thanks-giving and Christmas.

"We want everybody to come out and have a good weekend," Ms. Valdetero said.

The festival is always held under big oak trees on the campus of Broadway School downtown.

This year, it will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

It is sponsored by the chamber and benefits the chamber, with proceeds having been used in the past to buy equipment for the chamber kitchen, a desk and chair.

The festival is free to the public, but exhibitors each pay $65 for a 10-by-10 foot booth.

The festival was started in 1973 by four women who became involved in the chamber.

It has been held every year since, except when it was canceled when Hurricane Rita came through in 2005.